Al Amerat, Oman: Nepal’s dream of defending their ACC Asia Cup crown was shattered on Friday as they were bundled out by a dominant UAE side in the semi-final of the ACC Premier Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament. Chasing a modest 120-run target, UAE waltzed to victory with 2.8 overs to spare, securing their place in the final.

Nepal’s Batting Falters

Nepal’s batting woes began early, losing wickets consistently throughout their innings. Opener Sandeep Jora stood tall amidst the collapse, scoring a fighting half-century (50 off 40 balls) with four boundaries and two sixes. Gulshan Jha (20 runs) and Karan KC (17 runs) chipped in with handy contributions, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to fire. UAE’s bowling attack, led by Junaid Siddiqui, Basil Hameed, and Ali Naseer, shared the spoils, picking up two wickets each.

Alishan Sharafu’s Heroics Lead UAE to Victory

Set a relatively simple target, UAE openers Muhammad Waseem and Chirag Suri started cautiously. However, the arrival of Alishan Sharafu at the crease sparked the chase. The right-hander played a match-winning knock of 55 not out (41 balls), with four boundaries and two sixes. Bishnu Sukumaran (28 runs) provided valuable support at the other end as UAE cruised to victory in the 18th over.

Nepal Seeks Redemption in Third-Place Match

Nepal, who dominated Group A with wins over Malaysia, Qatar, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia, will now focus on securing a third-place finish. They will face the loser of the second semi-final between Oman and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, a confident UAE team awaits the winner of that match in the final, aiming to lift the ACC Premier Cup trophy.